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Meeting the challenge of cardiovascular new drug discovery
Author(s) -
Smith Ronald D.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
drug development research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.582
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1098-2299
pISSN - 0272-4391
DOI - 10.1002/ddr.430040302
Subject(s) - disease , medicine , drug discovery , intensive care medicine , population , safer , pharmaceutical industry , heart failure , drug , stroke (engine) , pharmacology , bioinformatics , biology , environmental health , mechanical engineering , computer security , computer science , engineering
The general challenge of new drug discovery is to translate a new idea in science or medicine into a useful therapeutic agent. The specific challenge of cardiovascular new drug discovery (CVNDD) is to translate a new idea in science or medicine into an agent for the treatment of cardiovascular disease such as hypertension, congestive heart failure, or ischemic heart disease. CVNDD has a fundamental and increasingly important role in providing a maturing world population with medicaments designed to assist the human organism adjust to aging and to changes in its environment. The economic impact of CVNDD is critical to the world pharmaceutical industry. The economic impact of CVNDD is insignificant, however, compared to the potential world health impact of successful CVNDD that generates effective new cardiovascular drugs. There can be no doubt that present cardiovascular drugs have enhanced the quality of life of millions of people worldwide and have contributed to a reduction in the morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular disease. Although the gains have been modest in some areas such as sudden cardiac death, they have been dramatic in other areas, such as stroke. The length and quality of life have been enhanced by the rational discovery, development, and therapeutic use of cardiovascular drugs. The future holds the promise of even more impressive gains through new generations of drugs—more efficacious, safer drugs [Fisher, 1980; Pletscher, 1980; Kaplan and Smith, 1981; Smith, 1983].